The present invention relates to an improved electrical connector assembly possessing high heat resistance and positive biasing means fixedly mounted therein and engageable with the ends of the inserted terminal member to bias the same in rigid contacting position.
In the past, it has been the practice to mold plastic insulating electrical connector assemblies comprised of first and second connecting housings which are adapted for longitudinal telescoping engagement together. Each of the connecting housings include terminal contact members mounted therein such that when the housings are matingly telescoped together, the terminal contact members are engaged and interlocked together to provide the electrical contact connection.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,091,746, the insulative connector housings are of a substantially rectangular form split longitudinally to form two half sections. The lower section including an elongated leaf spring loosely positioned therein which engages the end of the terminal member to bias the same upwardly to provide the interlocked connection with another insulated connector housing containing an oppositely mounted terminal member, is well known in the art. The lower section includes a pocket portion and a body portion adapted to receive the terminal members with the side and bottom walls of the pocket portion being recessed or offset from the main body portion to provide shoulder portions and the spaced relationship of the pockets providing a slot extending to the plane of the shoulder portion to permit telescoping of the housings together. The upper half section of the insulated connector housing is provided with a corresponding forwardly extending portion coextensive with the body portion and shaped to provide two inverted U-shaped sockets which are opened at the outer ends and closed at the inner ends by an integrally mounted wall portion defining the end of the body portion. The sockets of the upper half section extend over the pockets of the lower half section and are of such a size and dimension as to snugly receive the pockets of the second connector housing when the same are telescoped together. The wall portion is integrally molded to and part of the insulated connector housing and is engageable with the inserted terminal member when the member is fully inserted into the housing. Additionally, it has been found that the most widely used commercial material for molding the insulated connector housing is a polycarbonate resin known as Lexan, a trademark of the General Electric Company. Because the wall portion is in direct contact with the terminal ends of the electrical connector during usage, the wall portion, or polycarbonate resin oftentimes heats up and melts thereby destroying the effectiveness of the electrical connector assembly. Thus, it has been found that where excessive loads are carried by the electrical connector over prolonged periods of time, the connector housings of the prior art do not provide sufficient heat resistance to be commercially acceptable.
Additionally, the prior art electrical connectors include a biasing spring either mounted on the terminal end of the terminal member or loosely positioned within the housing, with the spring biasing the terminal member to provide an interlocked connection. Because the leaf springs are either loosely attached on the terminal ends or loosely positioned in the housings, it has been found that rapid and repeated disengagement of the electrical connection results in the electrical spring members being pulled out of the electrical housing thereby destroying the utility of the electrical connector and severely restricting its applications.